Plant Resources in the Protected Areas and Proposed Corridors of Darjeeling, India Abhaya Prasad Das1, Ram Bahadur Bhujel2, Dorje Lama3, 1University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, India, 2Kalimpong College, Kalimpong, India, 3St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, India, [email protected] The proposed corridors in Darjeeling are rich in flora, many of which are threatened. Substantial numbers of species are endemic to the region. Introduction Among the nine botanical provinces in the Indian sub-continent, the eastern Himalayas are unique globally because of the diversity of plants and animals found there, and this has drawn the attention of many plant and animal scientists from different corners of the world (Das 1995). The Himalayan region, influenced by various climatic factors, soil characteristics, diversified landforms, and altitudinal variations has a rich and diverse forest structure and an abundant composition of species. The district of Darjeeling is one of the most pleasant and beautiful places in India. It has a blend of nature, culture, wildlife, and adventure. Covering an area of 3,255 sq.km, the district Section 2: Biodiversity Conservation 57 is located between 26°31’ and 27°13’ N and 87°59’ and 88°53’ E. The district has three subdivisions: Kalimpong is the largest (1,057 sq.km) followed by Darjeeling (936 sq.km) and Kurseong (425 sq.km). The district shares its boundaries with Nepal to the west, Sikkim to the north, and Bhutan to the east. The climate is extremely variable with a nearly tropical climate prevailing in the foothills and terai regions and subalpine conditions in the areas above 3,000m. The annual rainfall is around 3,000 mm. A wide range of vegetation structures with extremely rich plant and animal diversity has developed due to the extreme climatic, edaphic, and physiographic variations. Dash (1947), Champion and Seth (1968), Bhujel (1996), and Rai and Das (2002) have variously classified the vegetation of Darjeeling. Table 1: Estimated number of The ‘plants of Darjeeling’ have attracted many vascular flora in Darjeeling botanists and explorers in the last three Estimated number Taxa centuries. The estimated vascular flora for of species Darjeeling district is 2,912 (Table 1). Plants of Angiosperms (dicots) 1,900 diverse forms, such as trees, shrubs, climbers, Angiosperms (monocots) 750 lianas, annual and perennial herbs, geophytes, Gymnosperms 12 epiphytes, parasites, and saprophytes, are evenly distributed. Das (1986) and Bhujel and Pteridophytes 250 Das (2002) estimated a considerable proportion of endemism for this region. The region is equally rich in non-timber forest products (NTFP), and the local inhabitants, especially the forest-village dwellers, use numerous plants in their daily lives. These include edibles, fodder plants, plants for house building, medicinal and aromatic plants, ornamentals, poisonous, and religious plants. There are five protected areas in the district and they are important repositories of the rich biodiversity of the region (Table 2). The Government of West Bengal has been managing above 10% of the total geographical area of the district of Darjeeling as protected areas. These protected areas, however, are scattered as ‘islands’ of conservation without the connectivity needed for the long-term survival of species. In 2003, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) introduced a landscape approach to conservation focusing Table 2: Protected areas and their important species in Darjeeling Area Division Important species Name (sq.km) red panda, leopard cat, serow, clouded leopard, Himalayan thar, Himalayan black Singhalila National Park Darjeeling 79 bear, tragopan, monal pheasants, spiny babbler goral, serow, Himalayan black bear, Senchel Wildlife Sanctuary Darjeeling 39 pangolin, barking deer serow, Himalayan black bear, gaur, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary Kurseong 127 elephant elephant, red panda, goral, serow, Neora Valley National Park Kalimpong 88 Himalayan thar, tiger, spotted leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat Jorepokhari Salamander Sanctuary Darjeeling 0.04 salamander 58 Biodiversity Conservation in the Kangchenjunga Landscape on developing connectivity and transboundary cooperation (Sharma and Chettri 2005). Consultations with experts, conservation authorities, and civil society took place. Research showed that there is an urgent need to establish forested pathways or conservation corridors between the different protected areas in this rich pocket of biodiversity in the eastern Himalayas (Sharma and Chettri 2003). Following the consultations and recommendations for research, small-scale research projects on different aspects of biodiversity conservation were commissioned involving partners and institutions. This paper discusses the research carried out in the three potential conservation corridors identified through the consultation and research coordinated by ICIMOD. Protected Areas in Darjeeling Darjeeling district is divided into three administrative forest divisions: the Kurseong, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling hill divisions, which together have above 22% of the area under forests. There are five protected areas – two national parks and three sanctuaries. The biodiversity elements of these protected areas are presented in the following sections. Singhalila National Park (SNP) With an area of 79 sq.km, Singhalila National Park lies between 22°01’ 46” and 27°13’ 15” N and between 88° 01’ 51” and 88° 07’ 54” E in the extreme northwestern part of Darjeeling district. The altitude ranges from 2,400 to 3,660m. The eastern side of the range lies in Sikkim in the north; whereas the western side is the valley of the Tamur River, one of the tributaries of the river Kosi. The Singhalila ridge rises from Maneybhanjyang to Tonglu to Sandakphu and Phalut in Darjeeling district and continues higher up into Singhalila National Park and thereafter in the north joins the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) in Sikkim. With wide altitudinal variations, the vegetation of this park is diverse. Subalpine rhododendron forest, fir-hemlock-oak mixed forest, oak forest and moist temperate forest, Tsuga dumosa forest, subalpine coniferous forest, and bamboo scrub are found at higher altitudes (2400m and above), while temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest predominates at lower altitudes (2400m). The park is home to about 22 species of mammals, of which three are threatened; there are more than 250 species of birds, of which four are threatened. Some of the important wildlife include red panda (Ailurus fulgens), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis), common leopard (Panthera pardus), Himalayan thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus), Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus), tragopan (Tragopan satyra), and monal pheasant (Lophophorus impejanus). Floristic exploration of the park is now in progress; preliminary assessments indicate a high proportion of endemics. Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) This park is located between 88º 28’ and 88º 56’ E and between 26º 51’ and 27º 12’ N, covering an area of 88 sq.km and with altitudinal variation from 300 to 3,150m. The national park is bordered in the east by West Bhutan. It is divided into four beats: Rachela, Thosum, Section 2: Biodiversity Conservation 59 West Ner, and East Ner. NVNP is the least penetrated and the least explored protected area in the region and it is believed to have the richest biodiversity. The park meets the borders of Sikkim and Bhutan at Rachela danda, the highest point at 3,150m. The Neora River, the major water source of Kalimpong town originates here. ‘Jaributti’, one of the most beautiful places in NVNP is a repository of several important medicinal plants and also an ideal spot to witness wildlife movements. The park is also home to the endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens). The recent discovery of around 19 royal Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) by the Tiger Census of 2002 has listed the park among the most sensitive wildlife zones in the country. Rai and Das (2002) recorded the rich floristic diversity in the park and are summarised in this section. The lower altitudinal zone or foothills (500 to 1,700m) displays characteristic subtropical vegetation. The dominant tall tree species (10-30m) include Duabanga grandiflora, Michelia champaca, Terminalia alata, Gmelina arborea, Schima wallichii, Castonopsis indica, Phoebe hainesiana, Ficus subincisa, Quercus glauca, Erythrina stricta, Syzygium formosum, Phyllanthus emblica, and others. The undergrowth includes Pandanus nepalensis, Maesa indica, Garuga pinnata, and Holmskioldia sanguinea. The common herbs are Ageratum conyzoides, Oxalis corniculata, Urnea lobata, Pouzolzia sanguinea, Mimosa pudica, Eranthemum pulchellum, and others. Above this zone, lies a small subtemperate zone (1,700-1,900m), characterised by Ostodes paniculata, Ficus oligodon, Syzygium claviflorum, Catunregam longispina, Ehretia serrata, Morinda angustifolia, and Solanum erianthumc. The ecological zone between 1,900 and 3,150m receives comparatively more rainfall and has higher humidity than the tropical area and therefore harbours rich vegetation with wide ranging biodiversity. The 15-25m high trees form a dense, closed canopy, and include Michelia dolorosa, Magnolia campbellii, Alnus nepalensis, Rhododendron arboreum, Acer thomsonii, Juglans regia, Betula alnoides, Cotoneaster griffithii, Elaeocarpus lanceifolicus, Larix griffithiana, Juniperus pseudosabina, Abies densa, Tsuga dumosa, Taxus baccata, Pinus roxburghii, and Cryptomeria